Welcome! The Pearl River Valley Water Supply District is the state agency responsible for managing the 33,000-acre Barnett Reservoir and the 17,000 acres surrounding the lake, 12,000 of which are forest land. The District carries out its multi-purpose mission without local tax dollars or general fund appropriations from the state legislature.
A Board of Directors, representing four state agencies and five counties, approves plans and projects for the District.
About the District:
- Provides a water supply for the City of Jackson.
- Provides water and sewer service for District leaseholders, via wells.
- Maintains the Barnett Dam and monitors water quality in cooperation with the Mississippi Department of Health and the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality.
- Provides recreational opportunities that include managing 48 recreational facilities for an estimated 2.5 million annual visitors. Visitors can relax at five campgrounds, 16 parks, 22 boat launches, four handicap-accessible boat launches, three handicapped-accessible fishing piers, and 23 miles of trails.
- Each campground has an on-site Reservoir Police manager. In conjunction with private and public sectors, the District contains five marinas, a baseball complex, a soccer complex, and a golf course.
- Develops quality residential communities on Reservoir property, totaling 66 subdivisions and over 5,800 homes to date, maintained by comprehensive subdivision regulations, architectural review guidelines, active homeowners’ associations, and protective covenants.
- Provides safe, family-friendly environments with Reservoir Police officers serving the Reservoir and its facilities.
- Cooperates with other agencies and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to provide flood mitigation.
- Provides multiple-use management of over 12,000 acres of forest land, including wildlife and watershed protection.